Origami Resource Center

http://www.origami-resource-center.com/index.html

1. This is a wonderful "home base" for origami educational resources online... K-12

Here is a youtube tutorial video step-by-step, fold-by-fold

to create a kool origami butterfly, and the video technique is good quality also;

So this could be a good first origami project to follow and make with your students: Middle School and above...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4L5nDDgEEk&NR=1&feature=fvwp

(but that's your call: if you are not comfortable at this level, start with easier examples at the Origami Resource Center

and on on youtube videos...)

I followed the video step-by-step (with some pauses = click the pause button :-)

and then made 4 more butterfly gifts after learning how to make the first one.

You can experiment with colored markers etc to add some 'personality' to your models

and/or use colored construction paper etc. I used colorful magazine pages to fold the gift items,

which turned into a fun experiment to see how the different page designs became the final butterfly shape.

Note: The very beginning of his video tutorial demonstrates a fundamental origami skill,

which is "How to make a Perfect Square piece of paper

from a standard 8 1/2" x 11" copy or printer paper sheet."

This will save you lots of time and confusion, once you know how to do this simple technique.